Alkyl carbamates are useful as intermediates for making textile cross-linking resins and as intermediates in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. A number of procedures for manufacturing them have been described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,711. In particular, it is known to manufacture them by reaction of urea with an aliphatic alcohol according to the reaction: EQU R--OH+NH.sub.2 CONH.sub.2 .fwdarw.ROCONH.sub.2 +NH.sub.3
U.S. Pat. No. 2,837,571 describes the use or cupric salts as catalysts for this reaction. U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,711 discloses the possibility of conducting the reaction without a catalyst and also the use of zinc catalysts such as zinc acetate, zinc formate, zinc carbonate, or zinc oxide. These prior patents disclose heating the reactants at elevated temperatures such as 110.degree. to 200.degree. C. at atmospheric pressure. Liberated ammonia may be collected, e.g., in a dry ice trap. Following completion of the reaction, the products are recovered by distillation, e.g., under vacuum.